The crowds have booed and the critics have carped, but ultimately Kevin Pietersen has been deafened by acclaim. England's tour of South Africa has become a glorification of his talent: three hundreds in six innings and the most wondrous saved until last.

No one has made a more phenomenal entrance to England's one-day stage. No one has struck the ball so uninhibitedly or been the subject of so much debate. To achieve all this on a tour that examined not just his status as a cricketer but as a man is quite remarkable.

His innings of 116 yesterday - the last 82 runs spilling forth from only 37 balls - was one of England's finest one-day innings, not just for the conviction of his shot-making but for the spirit of independence from which it flowed. He could not spirit victory, but he could have done no more.

England were given hope by distant lightning and demob-happy shots by Graeme Smith and Jacques Kallis, who drove Michael Vaughan's loosener to long-on. But Ashwell Prince scurried to his maiden one-day fifty and, with the contrivance of Mark Boucher, who sacrificed himself in a running mix-up, Prince's unbeaten 60 led South Africa home comfortably enough with six balls to spare. It was an important marker post in the gradual shift towards a representative multi-racial side.

This, the last of seven ODIs, was a dead rubber and England's batsmen could not disguise it. Vaughan lost an influential toss, the pitch was zestful, the batsmen were not and, by the 25th over, they were 68 for six. Pietersen intelligently bided his time before he launched a concerted counter-attack that won him a standing ovation. "That ranks as the best hundred I have scored," he said. "To turn the crowd around like that gave me goosebumps."

Most people have heard of the Peter Principle, which says that people tend to rise to the level of their own incompetence. The Pietersen Principle has been quite the opposite, conveying the impression: "I'm alright - it's the rest of 'em who are struggling."

He has carried the batting to a staggering degree. His 454 runs in the South Africa one-day series is more than the combined tally of Marcus Trescothick, Vaughan, Andrew Strauss and Paul Collingwood. To put it another way, he has exceeded the aggregate runs from England's most productive one-day batsman, the former No1 batsman in the world, the star of the Test series, and a one-day player deemed by his coach to be indispensable.

Trescothick's dismissal for nought, fending at Shaun Pollock, told of his exhaustion. Vaughan, loose of strike, was gated by Makhaya Ntini's inswinger. Strauss came out smiling - relaxed enough to regain his form, we thought - but fell to a bottom edge.

If there is a cause for concern it is in Pietersen's running. He has been involved in four run-outs this series - he has batted for so long that is natural - but his sending back of Vikram Solanki in East London and Collingwood yesterday, with Smith hitting direct from short fine leg, had an element of self-preservation.

He came perilously close to lbw against Andrew Nel, while only at two, but dug in with canny works to leg, a wristy method that makes many judges unsure of his worth as a Test cricketer.

Vaughan believes otherwise. "He has set the world alight and has played innings of unbelievable tempo in pressurised situations. I don't see why he can't get runs in Test cricket. He is an immense talent."

It was in the 37th over, heartened by Ashley Giles's sturdy support, that he first imposed himself by hauling Nicky Boje's left-arm spin for two midwicket sixes. At drinks, he checked his aching hamstring and took some painkillers.

His best six was a graceful pick-up off Andrew Hall. Ntini nearly bowled him on 80, but his confidence was undimmed and he reached 99 by lashing him for six.

In stealing a quick single for his century, he collided with Ntini in the crease, and offered the bowler an apologetic embrace before another bat-wielding celebration. The South Africans looked sick to death of him.

It was Hall who finally bowled him, defeating a leg-side heave 14 balls from the end. He struck 10 fours and six sixes and, in facing 110 balls, once again scored more than a run a ball.

His England one-day average remains extraordinary - 139.50 - as does his strike rate. No batsman in the world has ever made such an immediate impact. To think that England only picked him for South Africa as an afterthought.